Soccer is one of those sports where the coach makes his most significant contribution during practices. There is some input that can occur during the game, such as halftime adjustments, but for the most part the game is decided on the field by the players.

Soccer season in Hillsborough opened last week and for our first practice I worked on one drill only - corner kicks. I think the kids thought I was nuts. There was so much more important stuff to deal with as our first game was only 10 days away. Well, last Saturday we played that first game. We won 2-1. Both goals were scored on corner kicks. Now the kids are paying real close attention to their coach during practices.

You know me - as a pastor I can’t help but think about life lessons from stuff like that. I think our daily lives are like playing the soccer games. You have to think on the fly. You make decisions and move forward. Sometimes the odds seem to be stacked against you and other times it seems like everything is going your way. Regardless, I think the game is decided by what you are doing in your practice sessions.

Personally, I am experiencing some storms right now and so I have focused on some critical early morning practice sessions of prayer and Bible study. I take my time in those sessions. I am pretty sure they will come back to make the difference in the score. So what are you practicing?

Hey, we are going to celebrate this weekend! The final week of our Awaken series will include baptisms. So come prepared to enjoy the Lord. I will be speaking from Acts 8. Why not take a look at that chapter and try to guess what part I will use and what my main point will be? Then this weekend you can see if you guessed correctly. See you then.

It has been a lot of fun to speak to so many of you after the services during our current series.  It is pretty exciting when you get a grasp of what it means to be awakened by God and journey with him. And I am finding that many of you have made a decision to start your own journey with God.  But how many of you have declared this to the rest of us, and begun to deepen the impact of the journey?  Here are a few ways that you can do this.

How many of you are interested in being baptized on the weekend of April 26-27?  Why not send me a response as you read this?  If you have found yourself awakened during this series or you just have never decided to be baptized, then contact me and join the group that will celebrate that weekend.

Before you decide your weekend activities, remember that this Saturday morning you can join us for one of our core Discovery classes.  If you want to explore membership and find out why we believe that developing community is part of the journey of awakening, then come to D¹ - Discovering Community.  If you want to get a better handle on the disciplines associated with your journey and understand why knowing God is the first step, take D² - Discovering Spiritual Journey.  And if you want to take a step into service and catch the fever of bringing hope into our world, then come to D³ - Discovering Ministry.  Keep in mind that these are sequential classes.  Sign up today.

I have been to Cuba twice in the past five years.  During each trip, I fell more in love with the Cuban people, and left inspired to learn further about the history and current affairs of this neighboring island.  As you can probably imagine, it was with great interest that I watched Fidel Castro step down earlier this year.  As I listened to him address his people, I wondered how he considered his 49 years in power: whether he looked over his career and evaluated what he had really accomplished.

A museum opened in Havana last year to commemorate the Castro years.  In a news article covering the event, a reporter commented that on the Saturday he visited the building, he found it completely empty but for a lone, bored attendant who asked him for an antacid (since “medicines are very scarce”). In this caricature of the country’s larger problems, I can’t help but think that Castro’s revolution died well before his retirement.

Meeting the needs of people is a critical lesson that Castro should have learned.  Let’s not make the same mistake at home.

Jesus is our cornerstone.  He is relevant and compassionate to each generation. God’s Word and our faith should continue to meet the practical needs around us, because the incredible work of Christ will naturally see people around us changed, just as we are transformed.  Friends and strangers should walk through these doors because they want to experience a relevant, a compassionate, a practical love.

I don’t want anyone to live less than a full life — do you?